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REVIEW article

Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Pharmacology of Anti-Cancer Drugs
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1446030
This article is part of the Research Topic Innovative Approaches to Overcome Resistance and Toxicities of Anti-Cancer Drugs View all 16 articles

Chitosan-based biomaterial delivery strategies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Provisionally accepted
Xianling Wang Xianling Wang Yan Yang Yan Yang Shuang Zhao Shuang Zhao Di Wu Di Wu Le Li Le Li Zhifeng Zhao Zhifeng Zhao *
  • Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma accounts for 80% of primary liver cancers, is the most common primary liver malignancy. Hepatocellular carcinoma is the third leading cause of tumorrelated deaths worldwide, with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 18%. Chemotherapy, although commonly used for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment, is limited by systemic toxicity and drug resistance. Improving targeted delivery of chemotherapy drugs to tumor cells without causing systemic side effects is a current research focus. Chitosan, a biopolymer derived from chitin, possesses good biocompatibility and biodegradability, making it suitable for drug delivery. Enhanced chitosan formulations retain the anti-tumor properties while improving stability. Chitosan-based biomaterials promote hepatocellular carcinoma apoptosis, exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, inhibit tumor angiogenesis, and improve extracellular matrix remodeling for enhanced antitumor therapy. Methods: We summarized published experimental papers by querying them.Results and Conclusions: This review discusses the physicochemical properties of chitosan, its application in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment, and the challenges faced by chitosan-based biomaterials.

    Keywords: Biomaterials, Chitosan, Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Apoptosis, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, Angiogenesis inhibition, extracellular matrix remodeling

    Received: 08 Jun 2024; Accepted: 23 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wang, Yang, Zhao, Wu, Li and Zhao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Zhifeng Zhao, Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.